Flexible tubing is widely utilized to deliver fluid from a fluid source to a storage site or fluid treatment site. The flexible tubing is connected to the storage volume or fluid treatment site in order to provide the desired fluid delivery. It is necessary to provide a secure and leak proof connection at the end of the flexible tubing in order to avoid fluid contamination and/or leakage. Such a secure connection is particularly required in medical and pharmaceutical applications such as blood pumps, oxygen concentration cartridges, filtration cartridges, intravenous bags or the like.
At the present time, cable ties are utilized to provide a secure connection at the end of the flexible tubing. These cable ties require a tool to tighten the cable tie around the end of the flexible tubing and to cut off the excess cable tie end after the desired tightening is effected. The exposed cut cable tie end is sharp and may cause damage to the storage area, such as a flexible bag or to the fluid treatment site.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,796,586 and 7,090,257 as well as patent application publication US 2005/0082826 disclose a lock clamp for flexible tubing. The clamp requires a cumbersome tool to connect the flexible tubing to a barbed fitting.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a connector for connecting a flexible tubing to a barbed fitting which prevents leakage and/or contamination of fluid located within the flexible tubing. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a connector which remains intact even at elevated fluid pressure within the flexible tubing. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide such a connector which can be installed by hand without the use of a tool or unusually high hand strength while avoiding the creation of sharp edges. Such a connector would provide ease of installation as well as security against fluid leakage or fluid contamination.